


Promise

by Athena_VM



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue - Fandom, tessa virtue/scott moir - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 14:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17982959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athena_VM/pseuds/Athena_VM
Summary: Tessa has surgery...and they don't talk. They're both miserable but they don't talk. Until their mothers give them a push in the right direction.





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> So there's some light angst because this is back in the day - my take on the weeks post the first surgery. A one shot in two chapters! I have other fics to focus on but I started writing this idea and decided it needed a chapter or two!

Tessa sighed, sitting up in bed. She couldn’t sleep…it had been days, weeks of not being able to sleep properly. She glanced at her phone, it was still silent. No calls, no messages from Scott. He didn’t want to be there…he didn’t want to check on her. Since his last text – _hope the surgery goes well, thinking of you_ , there had been silence.

She too was at fault, she knew that. She didn’t want to tell him about her pain, didn’t want to hear if he was practicing with a different partner, didn’t want to tell him how hard it was. He was healthy right now and she wasn’t, she didn’t want to bring him down.

 

When her mother entered her room to see if she wanted breakfast, she found her staring at the ceiling, a melancholy look on her face.

“Good morning, want some breakfast?” asked Kate, looking concerned.

“No,” muttered Tessa.

“Tess…you need to eat,” said Kate.

“No,” said Tessa again.

She huffed out a breath, annoyed.

“Okay,” said Kate, seeing that Tessa was in no mood to talk.

Kate left her alone, Tessa snuggling into her pillow, tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away angrily. She didn’t want to cry over any of it. Over her surgery, her recovery, skating or him.

 

Scott’s house

“How’s Tessa?” asked Alma.

Scott shrugged. “Not sure.”

“Haven’t you checked on her?” asked Alma, eyebrows raised.

“No,” admitted Scott, hating himself.

“Why? She’s your partner…and your best friend,” said Alma, looking shocked.

“I don’t know what to say to her, okay?” said Scott, putting his cereal down and grabbing his skate bag. “I’m going to the rink.”

“Don’t you walk out of here, young man,” said Alma.

“I have to go,” said Scott, leaving the kitchen.

 Alma reached for the phone, calling Kate to find out how Tessa was doing.

“I don’t know, she’s healing, the physio is going well but she’s just…miserable,” said Kate.

“It’s Scott’s fault isn’t it?” asked Alma. “I’m going to kill him.”

Kate paused for a moment, it was partly Scott and partly her daughter’s stubbornness. Just because Scott hadn’t called her, she also hadn’t called him and this had gone on for weeks now.

“She misses him. But she won’t pick up the phone either, she says she doesn’t know what to say,” said Kate.

“That’s what he just said to me when I asked why he hadn’t checked on Tess,” said Alma.

Kate sighed. “Can you talk to him, I’ll talk to her and see if we can’t get them to at least try to talk to each other?”

“I am going over to the rink right now, he won’t know what hit him,” said Alma, determined.

 

Scott saw his mother enter the rink as he practiced a lift holding a hockey stick. He figured she was doing some work in the office so paid no heed until he saw her put on skates and head straight for him.

“Go over and see Tessa right now,” demanded Alma immediately.

“Mom!” said Scott. “I have practice.”

“You will go see your partner, you will apologise for being an ass and you will support her. She’s your best friend. And don’t try to act cool and say she isn’t, I know how much you care about her,” said Alma.

“She is my best friend. I miss her,” admitted Scott, looking defeated.

“Go and see her. Talk. I know she misses you too,” said Alma.

Scott hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. I need to go get her a present first.”

“I am sure you’ll find something,” said Alma with a smile.

Scott nodded and started getting ready to leave. His idiocy being pointed out to him wasn’t pleasant but he also knew his mom was right. He did miss Tess, he just had no idea what to say to her so saying nothing was just the easier option. What could he say?

_Thanks Tess, for slicing your legs open for us?_ She’d endured so much pain, she’d been through so much and he knew she was getting this surgery far too late and should have had it much earlier. It would have been best for her. But she’d endured so they could compete, she’d endured for them. He couldn’t wrap his mind around all the pain she’d gone through - was still was going through. He had been healthy and she had been injured. It wasn’t fair.

 

He went to the mall, trying to quickly find something suitable for Tessa and then went over to Tessa’s, knowing her mother would be there. She’d been staying with Tessa post her surgery to help her.  He had a week off from Canton to visit his family and he hadn’t even told Tessa he was in town. He wasn’t taking time off from practice though, the Ilderton rink sufficed for his practices.

“Uh…is Tessa in?” asked Scott., somehow timid now that he was at her house, holding flowers and a gift bag containing a teddy bear and chocolates.

Kate studied him. “She’s here, she’s in her room.”

“Thanks. Can I see her?” he asked.

“Of course, go on up,” said Kate, smiling at his nervousness.

“Thanks,” said Scott.

He took the stairs two a time, needing to see her. Now that he’d overcome the first hurdle, he just wanted to see her and make sure she was okay. He knocked on her door.

“Mom?” asked Tessa, confused.

“It’s Scott,” he answered.

Tessa was startled for a moment. The familiarity of his voice though was soothing.

She looked down at herself – shorts and a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. She’d been watching television to pass the time, so she turned off the show and sat up properly.

“Come in,” she said.

The door opened and Scott entered. He looked unsure but his eyes lit up as he saw her. He was holding a bouquet of gorgeous purple tulips and gift bag that seemed to have something a bit furry sticking out of the top. Tessa nearly rushed straight into his arms. But she held herself. She was upset with him and couldn’t just forget that the moment she saw him.

“Uh…hi,” he said, looking down at the ground for a moment. “I got you these,” he added, awkwardly holding out the flowers and gift bag.

Tessa nodded, her face unreadable.

Uncertainty was evident in his features as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

He put the tulips down on her bedside table and left the gift bag down on the floor next to it. When Tessa glanced down, she could now see the shape of the furry brown teddy bear in the bag right next to a large box of chocolates.

“T...I…I’m so sorry,” began Scott.

Tessa snapped her eyes up to his for a moment but couldn’t speak, chewing on her bottom lip in the hope she could withhold the tears. She’d missed him and here he was. He was late, but he was still there.

Cruelly, the battle was short. As he stood there, looking sad and unsure, she lost the battle, starting to cry. He immediately went to her, reaching out, but she batted his hand away. He stepped back as if he’d been burned, standing near the bed but not daring to come closer and sit by her.

“You…you couldn’t even…check on me?” she asked, looking heartbroken. “You’re supposed to be my best friend. We’re partners.”

“I know,” said Scott, swallowing away the lump of emotion in his throat. “I wanted to…I didn’t know what to say, I’m so sorry. I know I failed as your best friend. I know it…I’m so sorry.”

Tessa didn’t answer immediately, wiping away tears that continued to fall. He waited, knowing well he deserved her anger. He deserved for her not to forgive him.

“Scott,” she said finally.

He looked at her, hands in his pockets. He wanted to take away her pain and he realised that’s why he hadn’t been able to face her. She’d gone through all this for him – for them, for their skating. She should have had surgery long before she did. She’d got through the pain, she’d got through it and been so brave and strong. Yet, she looked so small and fragile sitting on her bed. He knew she wasn’t, he knew she didn’t need his protection but she had been in so much pain, pain he wished every day could be miraculously transferred to him, just so she wouldn’t need to suffer.

He looked at her legs, the bandages were gone and there were the remnants of scarring from the surgery. She noted his gaze and looked down at the sheet, knowing he was seeing the outcome of her surgery.

“I deserve it if you want me to leave, T,” he said quietly. “Do you want me to leave?” he added, looking sad.

Tessa didn’t answer, avoiding his eyes.

“You want me to leave,” said Scott, almost whispering the words as her silence lengthened.

“Can I come back tomorrow?” he asked, unsure, shuffling a bit as he prepared to leave, thinking he wasn’t welcome.

“Scott…come sit here,” she said finally, tearful.

He let out a small sigh of relief, gingerly sitting on the edge of her bed.

“T…” he began, his voice cracking.

Tessa launched herself into his arms and he let out a sob as he held her tightly. He thought he should be more careful but just needed to hold her as tightly as she’d let him. Tessa had broken down further and didn’t intend to let go of him any time soon. She knew he was crying too, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, her tears wetting his skin and his shirt. He tried to control his emotions, relaxing against her and kissing her hair gently as he pulled away to see her face.

“I kind of threw myself into skating and gym, I needed to distract myself,” said Scott, caressing her cheek gently. He couldn’t think of what the right thing to say might be so just started talking instead, anything he thought she needed to know.

“Are you skating with someone else?” asked Tessa, her voice trembling.

“No, I already have a partner,” said Scott, his hand moving to her hair as he tried to comfort her.

“I’ve used sandbags, hockey sticks, I’ve tried it all,” he added with a small smile.

Tessa nodded, looking away from him as she bit her lip.

“You’ve been healthy and I wasn’t, I didn’t want to bring you down with my problems,” she admitted.

“You’re my best friend, I will always be there. I want to take your pain away every day, Tess. I can’t stand not being able to take it away, not being able to make it better,” said Scott.

“Having your support makes it better,” said Tessa, squeezing his hand. 

“You have that, I’m here. I’m sorry I didn’t know how to be there for you. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. I mean you’ve gone through so much – all for skating, all for us. You suffered so much, and I couldn’t take it away,” said Scott, shaking his head.

“I get it…this has been hard for both of us,” said Tessa.

“I want the pain to come to me, not you. I want to take it away,” said Scott. “That sounds so lame but I just wish I could take it away for you.”

“That’s not lame. That’s really sweet, Scott,” said Tessa.

“I don’t deserve for you to be nice to me right now,” said Scott, shaking his head.

Tessa shook her head with a smile. “That’s my choice,” she said.

She knew he was beating himself up about it all and focused her attention on the gift bag.

“What’s in there?” she asked, hoping to distract him from beating himself up any further.

“Not enough,” he said darkly.

He grabbed the bag and handed it to her, watching as she smiled and pulled out the box of chocolates and the teddy bear, giving it a squeeze and running her hand over the soft brown fur.

“He’s so cute, I’m going to name him Scott,” said Tessa with a soft smile.

“You should name him something else, if you name him Scott, you might want to throw darts at him,” said Scott, shaking his head but glad she seemed to like the teddy.

“Darts? At this face?” asked Tessa, looking horrified as she squeezed the teddy tighter again.

Scott couldn’t help himself, he laughed.

“He is cute,” he agreed.

“I wouldn’t want to throw them at you either by the way,” said Tessa, lifting her eyes to look at him.

Scott held her gaze for a moment. “I’m so sorry. I know you’re too nice to want to throw anything at me, even if I do deserve it.”

“I could have messaged you or called you too…I started to, so many times. I just…” said Tessa, faltering.

“Didn’t know what to say,” he finished for her.

“Yeah,” said Tessa. “I’m sorry too.”

Scott hugged her and she immediately relaxed against him.

“You don’t need to apologize,” he murmured into her neck, before kissing her cheek and pulling back.

“But what if, Scott? What if all this doesn’t work? What then? I’m letting you down,” said Tessa, her voice breaking.

“No. No, never. You could never let me down,” said Scott emphatically, shaking his head.

“You’d end up resenting me…you would,” said Tessa.

“No. I wouldn’t,” said Scott. “You have already done so much. You should have had this surgery earlier, much earlier than this.”

“But I didn’t tell you at the beginning. I didn’t know what it meant, I didn’t want to worry you and I didn’t want this…any of this…to happen,” said Tessa.

“But it has. We’re a team and I am here. I was thinking of you every day, T. I just didn’t know…what could I say after everything you’ve gone through? I was stupid,” said Scott.

“Promise me? No matter what? I’m scared…I’m scared this didn’t work and what it will be like not skating…not being your partner,” said Tessa, her voice breaking.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and it was everything Scott could do not to break down again as she told him her fears.

“I promise. We’re always partners, always. No matter what,” said Scott.

Tessa looked at him in disbelief for a moment and then managed a tearful chuckle as he held up his pinky.

“Promise,” he said solemnly.

She hooked her own pinky against his. “Promise,” she said softly.

Scott kissed her forehead lightly.

“Hey, let’s go somewhere,” he said.

“Where?” asked Tessa.

“I’ll take you out for ice cream or a milkshake or something, get you out for a bit,” said Scott.

“My legs hurt from physio, I am not sure how far I can walk,” admitted Tessa.

Scott ruffled her hair, one hand gently on her legs. “Come on, that’s what I’m here for,” he said.

Tessa nodded with a smile, murmuring that she needed to get ready and Scott smiled, kissing her hair as he got up to leave the room to let her get ready.

He waited just outside her room and then Tessa hobbled out the door, finding Scott waiting for her. She wore denim shorts with a flowy white blouse, hair in a high ponytail and having put on some light makeup too.

“You look really pretty, T,” he said, gazing at her.

“Thanks,” said Tessa with a blush.

“Come here,” he said, bending to give her a piggy back ride.

“I can walk downstairs,” said Tessa.

“But you don’t have to,” said Scott.

Tessa chuckled and nodded, getting onto his back and he held her securely, making sure she was comfortable.

“Hold on,” he warned.

Tessa giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he made his way down the stairs.

Kate laughed as they got downstairs and Scott didn’t let go of Tessa.

“I’m taking T out for ice-cream,” announced Scott.

“Okay, have fun,” smiled Kate, happy to see Tessa smiling and laughing.

When she looked at them, she sometimes saw the two little kids who played around in the car going to skating; slept leaning on each other during those early morning drives to their training; who would run around together, full of energy and who made a commitment to each other at such young ages. Now they were grown up and while there had been a bump in the road, it seemed all was well as they left, Scott carefully setting Tessa down and helping her into the car.

 

“You didn’t think you could actually finish that?” teased Scott.

He was watching Tessa try to finish a massive ice-cream sundae and she bit into a cherry, knowing the sundae had defeated her but still unwilling to give up. It had been Scott’s treat and she’d laughed as she got the largest sundae while he got a smaller ice cream cone with two scoops of ice-cream.

She was hungry, having not had breakfast but not enough to manage to finish the rich sundae. She did a decent job though, just over half-way.

His phone beeped with a message and he glanced at it, seeing a message from Kate. He read it and then looked up at Tessa.

“I can do it…well…maybe later,” said Tessa, finally admitting defeat.

“Can we get that to go?” asked Scott with a laugh as one of the workers walked by their table.

“Sure,” she said, taking Tessa’s bowl and disappearing.

“I will finish it later for sure,” said Tessa.

“I’m sure you will, even tomorrow,” said Scott, smiling.

The girl returned with what remained of the sundae in a take away container and Tessa took it with a smile.

“Thank you, this was really nice,” she said to Scott, bumping his shoulder as they got up to leave.

Scott smiled, wrapping an arm around her. “You’re welcome. It was really nice,” he agreed.

“Your mom told me you haven’t eaten breakfast today by the way so I’m taking you to lunch. You’ve had dessert now so that doesn’t count as lunch,” said Scott.

Tessa opened her mouth to protest and he frowned. “No buts. Let’s go,” he said.

He supported her weight slightly with an arm around her waist and they stopped at Tessa’s house to put her sundae in the freezer, Tessa didn’t want it to melt. Scott smiled and agreed, letting her go in and she came back, settling into the car.

“Are your legs okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, they’re okay,” said Tessa.

“Okay, time to get some real food into you,” said Scott. “Anything you feel like?”

“Hmm, pasta? Garlic bread?” suggested Tessa.

“So Italian food? Sounds good, let’s go,” said Scott.


End file.
